Poultry nest



N0V- '11, 1941. c. H. FREDERlc f 2,262,441

POULTRY NEsT Filed Jan. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Nov. l1, 1941. c. H. FREDERIC POULTRY NEST Filed Jan'. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i U/Wlwffer l ATTORNEYS i Patented Nov.` `11, 1941 PoUL'rRY NEsT i charles H. Frederic, L-snngeies, Calif. .applicativa January 8,/1940, sieriaivNo. `312,979

1V claim. (c1. 11s-48) lMy invention relates to poultry devices and more `especially to individual I chicken `cages or layingnests. b

One of the principal `objects of myinvention `is to provide acagev or nest so constructed and `arranged whereby the samecan be lreadily attached to a support, for instance a water pipe, and `in a manner to assure the rolling" o fithe eggs when laid without delay so that the eggs caribe collected with ease Yand dispatch.

4Another object `of my invention is to provide a cageof the above described character which is` simple in construction, durable in use, efficient inboperation and economical in manufacture.A

t Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawings. i u i Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout Vthe several views: y i j" Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof. b jFgure 3` is a rear elevation of my novel form of cage and illustrating the means of attaching the same to a water pipe for supportingfsaid cage.

Figure 4 is i Figure 5 is a `fragmentary perspective `view of a side portion ofthe cage and illustrating the manneruof hinging the door thereto.`

` Figurei is a fragmentary perspective view of b aportion of the vopposite side of the cage and illustrating the latch means for securing the vddorfin closed position.

takenonthe line 'I-e-I of `Figure land illustrat-` ing the general contour of the` cage and with thefeed troughs, doorand rear wall removed therefrom. t t t t Figure 8 is `a perspective view of one ofthe feed cups or troughs.` i Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of ,the end wall of a feed cup. t t

Figure l is a perspective view of the` body section of a feed cup. i t In practicing my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, I provide acage of an elongated configuration in cross section and formed with semi-circular top and bottom walls 6 and 'I respectively integrally connected Vto spaced`tverti cally disposed side walls 8 andi). The walls of Figure 'lis adiagrammatic sectionalY view lil() a top plan View` of my invention.

transversely disposed endless wires I I and which construction, as'heretofore stated, visof an elongated configuration as illustrated in Figure 7 of `the drawings. i

The rearend of the cage 5 is closedby a latticed rear wall I2 secured to said cage in any convenient manner, for instance by welding or the like. The front of said cage is normally closedby a rectangular-shaped door I3 of a lattticed' construction, the upper end of said door being disposed in a plane coincident with the uppermost part of the upper wall E. The lower end ofthejdoor extends an appreciable distance below the upper ends of the lower `wall I and terminates an appreciable distanceisuperjacent the lowermost portion of saidlower wall 1 to provide therebetween an egg discharge opening I4 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of thedrawings f i The i'door I3 comprises a plurality of spaced connected vertical and horizontally disposed wires I5 and I6` with a pair of said wires I6,`ad jacent the lowermost horizontally disposed wire, fornied with looped sections I1 on the ends thereof encircling one of a pair of vertically disposed frame members I8 connected `to the front ends of the side walls 8 and 9 as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. The looped sections I'I each overlie `an end of one of the horizontally disposed wires Il] whereby to support the door thereon and permit said door to be swung from closed to open position and vice versa.

i Inorderltomaintain the door I3 inclosedposition I `providea latch device comprising a horizontally disposed length of wire I9 having a rear end section 20 looped about one of the vertically disposed wires I lofy the side wall 9 andwith said I length of wire being disposed outwardly of` a 4pair of adjacent vertically disposed wires II next to the frontmost length of wire II. The front end of the wire I9 is disposed inwardly of the frontmost length of wire II and is fashioned with a downwardly arcuate-shaped portion 2| terminating in a forwardly extending end 22 whereby said front endof 'the wire I9 may be snapped over the `adjacent end of one `of the horizontally disposed wires IS forming part of saidcage are of a latticed construction and comthe door I3 to secure said door in latched position against the front "of the cage 5. Suspended from one ofthe horizontally disposed wires I5 of the door I3 and subjacent the latch device I9a is a pair of feed troughs or cups `23 whereby a chicken within the cage may have access thereto between the wires I5 and I6.

A numberof pairs of lowermost horizontally disposed wires I forming a part of the bottom wall 1 extend an appreciable distance forwardly of the door I3 and terminate in upwardly and outwardly extending sections having ends integrally connected together to dei-lne a plurality of fingers 24 for engaging eggs discharged from within the cage through the opening I4 whereby to maintain said eggs on said forwardly extending portions of the wires I0 for manual removal therefrom.

Fixed to the rear end of the cage 5 and lsurrounding the sides and bottom walls 8, 9 and 1 is a U-shaped member secured to the rear end of the cage in any convenient manner, for instance by welding or the like, and which member terminates at its upper end in rearwardly .disposed free end sections 26, the latter being wrapped around or encircling :a transversely extending water pipe 21 whereby said cage is connected to said water pipe in suspended relation.

The water pipe ,is supported against the :front `faces of vertically disposed supports '2,8 zand secured thereto by means of brackets 29. `Subjacent the water pipe 21, the front faces of the supports 28 haveflxed thereto vertically'disposed sections `of a transversely extending Yangle iron 30. The lower or horizontal section of said angle iron 30 is disposed inwardly of the front `face of the supports 28 whereby, 'when said cage 5 Yis l connected to the water pipe 21 .as heretofore described, the .lower bottom portion of the cage will engage'the vertical section of the angle iron and dispose said cage in a forward and downward plane whereby eggs laid by a .chicken lwithin the cage will roll -towards the front end thereof and be discharged through the opening .I4 .and in engagement with the fingers 24. v

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated anddescribed my invention in Aconnection with a single cage, a plurality of my novel form of cages may be suspended Afrom the pipe 21 jto form a ,battery of said cages. ,The water pipe 2f1 is provided with a valve 3|, Asuch yas .the valve disclosed 'in United States Patent -No. l1,903,761, dated April 18, 17933, to 'H.C. Karst, operable `by a chicken within the -cage iso that the chicken may receive water from said `pipe and inasmuch as said valve forms no part of the present -invention per se, a detailed description lof the valve is not believed warranted.

As illustrated in Figures 8 to 10 of Yth-e drawings, the feed troughs --or cups 23 are fof `anelongated configuration and Qcomprise body and end sections and 36 respectively. The body section 35 is of a substantially U-shaped configuration in cross section having sidewalls .31 integrally connected together in spaced .relation by means of `an arcuate-shaped-bottom wall 3S. The upper ends of the side walls 31 are .fashioned with inwardly .disposed rolled edges 39 for `a y,purpose hereinafter more fully set forth. The end sections.35 constitute end `walls and are Ifashioned at their edges with inwardly disposed side `flanges integrallyconnected together -by an arcuateshaped bottom flange4l and also with horizontally disposed top flanges-42. The side and bottom l.flanges -Ml and 4I voutwardly embrace the side and .bottom walls.31 and 38 ofthe vbody section 35 `in overlying frelation with the vmarginal edges thereof.

The top horizontally disposed flanges l42 of the end walls .35 extend `within the cup and are y'disposed subjacent the endsof the .rolled edges 39 and in engagement .therewith `as clearly illusufl trated in Figure 8 of the drawings. One of the side walls 31 has spot welded on the outer face thereof and subjacent its rolled edge 39 upper ends of vertically disposed arms 43 of a substantially U-shaped member 44. The lower ends of the arms 43 are integrally connected together by a transverse portion 45. The upper ends of the arms 43 are provided with hooks 4S for engagement over one of the horizontally disposed wires I6 of the door I3 whereby to suspend the feed cups from saiddoor. The'lower ends of the arms 43 may be bent outwardly with respect to the cup .to dispose the cup at a desired angle with respect to the door to facilitate feeding of the chicken within the cage.

The rolled edges 39 of the cup serve to preclude injury Ato the chicken and also prevent loss of feed for the reason that there -is substantially no waste resulting from the chicken billing out the -feed from the cup, it being understood `thatin billing the chicken throws the feed out vof the cup Vwith `its, bill in ordinary cups by bringing its bill upwardly against the inner face Vof one of the side walls ofthe cup. Therefore, it can bereadily understood that the rolled inwardly disposed edges serve asa stop or guard. Furthermore, the cross sectional contour of my cage as clearly illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings effects an economy in manufacture for the reason that substantially 25% less wire mesh is used to construct the same. Also, the bottom or floor of the cage, due to said contour, is of a more rigid construction and when said floor or bottom is inclined with respect to horizontality it provides a positive means for discharging the egg without the cage as heretofore described.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a card holder is secured to the door, for instance by spot welding, and said card holder is of a sheet metal construction having side and bottom outwardly disposed spaced flanges for retaining a record card 5I in connected relation with said holder whereby an egg record or the likemay be kept of the chicken contained in the Cage.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by lapplying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to'which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, which constitutes a preferred embodiment thereof illustrative of the principles of operation but that it comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a poultry cage, a body of tubular formation having a plurality of spaced rigid wires secured to and extending longitudinally within a plurality of endless wires disposed transversely about the body in spaced relation, the said body being vertically elongated in cross section and having semicircular outwardly bulging top and bottom walls merging into straight side walls, a plurality of the longitudinal wires of the semicircularbottom wall being extended forwardly of the front i end ofthe-body and vbent upwardly at the forward `end of the body, a door mounted to cover the major portion of the front end of thevbody and to provide a discharge opening thereinleading onto the egg receiving projection, loops hingedly connecting one `side of the door to a side portion of the heavy continuous wire; a latch on the body for releasably `holding the said `door in closed position, and an approxmatelylrl-shaped member secured to the sides and bottom at the rear end of the body having its upper end portions coiled to embrace a support member for support- `ing the body in such position that the bottom is inclined to roll eggs therealong onto the forwardly projecting portion.

CHARLES H. FREDERIC. 

